TGIF July 2020: Scores
| 1. IMPs. None vul.
|
A K 10 8 5 2
A 6
K
A 10 5 2
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
Dbl
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
2
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 7
| 100
|
|
4
| 3
| 80
|
|
4
| 3
| 80
|
|
4
| 1
| 70
|
|
3
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: The ubiquitous cuebid shows up early this month.
Mike Lawrence: 4. I suspect I am splintering in partner's singleton. But no matter. What I'm hoping for is that partner cuebids 4. If he does that and only that, I will feel comfortable bidding 4NT. It's true that if parnter has a singleton club and the A, we may miss 7. If he has a stiff club and the K, I may miss a slam that way.
Zachary Grossack: 3. Often, cuebidding after making a takeout double is confusing, as it's unclear whether the cuebidder promises support for partner's response. Because of this ambiguity, I tend to avoid these types of cuebids and make clear bids, such as 4 here. But because I had a takeout double available over 2 holding a strong hand without a guaranteed spade fit, I think this 3 cuebid promises spade support, and allows our side to investigate slam if it's there.
Roger Lee: 4. All we need is a singleton club and a bit more, so we have to make a move. I dislike 3 because an auction like 3-3; 3-4 will leave us poorly placed.
David Waterman: 5. This will score zero - so be it. If he has a stiff club, I will play him for K, or Q J, or Q with no heart lead.
Anssi Rantamaa: 3. Can't let partner pass! Even with nothing 4 seems a near certainty.
Christopher Diamond: 3. Wish I could find a way to RKC in hearts. I will try to get info. Might be better to just RKC now. In real life I might just blast 6 to not give lead info.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Old college try for slam. Not expecting to play beyond 4.
Larry Meyer: 3. Partner may have a bust hand, so don't hang him.
Michael Dimich: 4. All you need is a singleton or doubleton club in dummy.
Stuart Carr: 3. Could make 6 if partner has Q x x x, K and short clubs.
Perry Khakhar: 3. We probably don't have a slam, and a game maybe iffy. But I get to express my strength at a low level without jumping. Possible that partner has Q x x x K x x x x x x x x?
Paul McMullin: 3. I do not know what info partner might have to share, but let's give him a chance to share it.
Chris Buchanan: 3. Not usually a fan of splintering with a stiff K or A but I will go that route this time.
Hendrik Sharples: 3. I should be able to make game opposite four little spades, and hope to hear some cooperation from partner.
Timothy Wright: 3. Partner probably does not have what we want (2 kings in the right suits), but we have to try.
Bill Treble: 4. Sure, it might go down, but a doubleton club and four small spades is enough for it to have a play.
Mike Roberts: 4. I know slam is a possibility, but I don't think partner has anything.
David Gordon: 3. There is some slam potential. Let's start with a cuebid.
Kf Tung: 4. If you bid 3 and then you make five, partner will not be happy.
|
| 2. Matchpoints. None vul.
| |
8 3
K 8
K Q J
A K Q 8 7 6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
Pass
|
1
| |
|
Pass
|
1
|
1
|
Dbl
(1)
| |
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
Pass
|
2
| |
|
Pass
|
3
|
Pass
| ? |
| (1) Three-card diamond support.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3NT
| 8
| 100
|
|
4
| 5
| 80
|
|
4
| 1
| 60
|
|
4NT
| 0
| 30
|
|
Moderator: The panel majority choose 3NT. Some lament they ought to have bid 3NT on the previous turn.
Barry Rigal: 4. I assume partner had a balanced hand with no spade stopper and now is checking back for a stopper. I think this is forcing, but wouldn't be amazed to discover if partner passed that we could make nothing above the four level.
Jeff Meckstroth: 3NT. Don't see a slam. Could be right to play five of a minor, but tough to know.
David Waterman: 4NT. He would not cuebid with only four diamonds. If he as two aces we have slam. And really, how can he not? What else can he have?
Anssi Rantamaa: 3NT. Partner bid notrump and the A figures to be right.
Christopher Diamond: 3NT. If there is another answer I don't know what it is. Old BW laugh track ... should be unanimous.
Aidan Ballantyne: 4. First meaning of 3 is stopper asking in my books. I'll continue to describe my hand.
Larry Meyer: 3NT. If pard delivers his spade stopper, we should have 9 tricks in notrump.
Michael Dimich: 4. Partner has the A and extra high card. 4 is a slam probe and asks for a second ace.
David Hooey: 4. What is 3 here? I think it's asking for spade control or help. None, so retreat to clubs.
Perry Khakhar: 6. It would seem that this hand belongs in clubs and not notrump. Partner has shown a little strength (he could just bid 2NT or 3) by cue bidding spades. Expressing doubt about the heart suit. My suit is good enough to play opposite x x. And this protects the K.
Paul McMullin: 3NT. I wimp out; there MAY be 12 tricks here, but I am a skeptic.
Chris Buchanan: 4. A and A x x x x should make the slam possible here.
Hendrik Sharples: 6. Partner might hold 5+ diamonds and correct, if not I might need partner to hold the 10, or J, or any club higher than the 8 with clubs 2-2 to make this. Of course the A offside would be unwelcome.
Timothy Wright: 3NT. What does 3 mean? Not sure, but my clubs are certainly assets in notrump.
Bill Treble: 6. The only possible reason for my bidding 2 rather than 3NT on my previous turn was because I was looking for slam. I now bid 6 to give partner a choice of contracts.
Mike Roberts: 4. This is dependent on what kind of hands partner would bid 1 vs 1NT originally.
David Gordon: 3NT. Not sure what the 2 bid was.
Kf Tung: 4. The contract usually ends in 5 or 5. It depends on what ace(s) partner holds!
|
| 3. IMPs. None vul.
| |
A 10 2
K J 8 7 6 3
A 7 2
6
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
1
|
Pass
| |
|
1
|
2
|
2
(1)
| ? |
| (1) Four-card spade support.
|
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2NT
| 5
| 100
|
|
Dbl
| 5
| 100
|
|
Pass
| 4
| 90
|
|
3NT
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: This was a three-way race between a penalty double, a constructive action, and pass.
Larry Cohen: Dbl. Likely I am turning a plus into a minus --- partner pulls to 3 which goes down one --- but I am afraid of getting stolen from. There are a lot of thieves out there, and I can't afford to settle for 50 a trick if we belong in 3NT.
Steve Robinson: Pass. Even though I have a good hand, I don't see that we have a fit. Partner should be short in both majors and will bid again if he has a decent hand.
Josh Donn: 2NT. Double looks fancy, but I think it shows a different sort of hand than this. I am too good to pass, and too misfitting to blast to game. So I will try to show some values but give partner an out.
David Waterman: Pass. What am I supposed to bid here, other than pass? 3 is possible I suppose --- make them misguess their fit and get 1 level too high? Too fanciful.
Christopher Diamond: Pass. Going to be harder to figure out what to bid if he doubles.
Aidan Ballantyne: Pass. I'm supposed to bid something? LHO is probably light and advance rescuing from hearts, but I still have no bid.
Larry Meyer: Pass. Prefer to defend on this misfit deal.
Michael Dimich: Pass. I think West has a light response and extra length in spades. Almost feel like bidding 3 but partner might take me seriously.
David Hooey: 2NT. Points but no suit. Pass is probably the winning bid. Partner has some diamonds but they are also breaking badly.
Perry Khakhar: Pass. This being IMPs, I'm hopeful they get too high! We might beat 2 by a trick, but double is too risky. If they reach game, all bets are off!
Paul McMullin: 2NT. Pass probably leads to defending 2, which cannot be right.
Chris Buchanan: Dbl. This likely will not play well.
Hendrik Sharples: Pass. I might hold the best hand at the table. If partner has 6 solid clubs he will bid again and I'll reevaluate.
Bill Treble: Dbl. Partner will likely be pulling, but I have a couple of aces for him. I want to get them to the three-level, where we might be able to defeat their contract.
Mike Roberts: Dbl. I almost want to raise to 3.
David Gordon: 2NT. Looks about right on values.
|
| 4. IMPs. N-S vul.
| |
A Q J
A
Q 8 7 4 3 2
K Q 8
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
|
1
| |
|
1
|
Dbl
|
Pass
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
2
| 11
| 100
|
|
2NT
| 2
| 60
|
|
3
| 1
| 50
|
|
2
| 0
| 40
|
|
2
| 0
| 30
|
|
2
| 0
| 20
|
|
3
| 0
| 20
|
|
3NT
| 0
| 20
|
|
Moderator: Another nebulous cuebid.
Jill Meyers: 2NT. I'm not crazy about my stiff A, but I'm also not crazy about missing a vulnerable game. My diamond suit is too ratty to bid 3. My alternate bid would be a jump to 2 on my three-card suit.
Daniel Korbel: 2. . . announcing a game forcing hand. This is a slight overbid, but because a 4-3 spade fit could play well, I'll take the plunge. My plan is to bid diamonds and then spades, unless partner bids notrump.
David Waterman: 2NT. Ugh. Nothing really appeals. This is the least bad bid.
Christopher Diamond: 2. This looks too suity for an off shape 2NT. Unless that is an info asking force.
Aidan Ballantyne: 2. Slight overbid.
Larry Meyer: 2. I don't want to jump in such a poor suit, so I will tell a lie in a minor.
Michael Dimich: 2. No bid is great. I think 2 'unsure of where to go' is my only option.
David Hooey: 3. . . western cue.
Perry Khakhar: 2. Partner promised two places to play. Let's see the other. I hope my general strength can get us to 3NT.
Paul McMullin: 3. We probably have the strength for 3NT but my diamonds are rather ratty; I would rather partner started that way.
Chris Buchanan: 2. Tell me more.
Hendrik Sharples: 2. At least partner will know I have a good hand.
Timothy Wright: 2NT. East's pass implies that partner (limited to four spades) has heart length.
Bill Treble: 2. As 18-counts go, it's not that sparkling because of the mediocre quality of the long suit. If partner bids 3, I might try for game with another heart cuebid.
Mike Roberts: 3. Might work out horribly, but I won't force to game, which I think 2 does.
David Gordon: 3. Shame about the suit.
John Gillespie: 2. You have a much better forward going move over anything but pass from partner.
Kf Tung: 3. If partner can bid 3N and make, he will be happy. If partner passes and 3 makes, he will be happy too.
|
| 5. Matchpoints. Both vul.
| |
9 5
K 10 9 8 5 4 2
A J 8 3
---
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
|
| ? |
Your call?
| Bid | Votes | Award
|
|
3
| 9
| 100
|
|
4
| 4
| 70
|
|
1
| 1
| 60
|
|
2
| 0
| 40
|
|
Pass
| 0
| 40
|
|
Moderator: How many hearts?
August Boehm: 3. . . warts and all, but pretty standard in the modern game.
Mike Lawrence: 4. I would bid 3 at IMPs. Two red queens with a tad more makes game possible.
Mel Colchamiro: 1. . . at any game, at any vulnerability. I've got tricks and I've got defense, so I've got an opening bid. No second choice.
Daniel Lyder: 4. A question of style, anything could be right. Might open 1 depending what mood I'm in.
David Waterman: 1. No right answer. 1, 2, and pass, should score equally, and 4 should be close behind.
Christopher Diamond: 1. 2: no. 3: no, too much potential. 4: no, suit not good enough. Pass: no, because I'll still bid if it comes back to me at the 3-level.
Aidan Ballantyne: 3. Could open 4 or 2. Settle for middle ground.
Larry Meyer: 3. The intermediates make the suit good enough to open at the 3-level.
Michael Dimich: 3. If I had K Q, I would open 4.
Perry Khakhar: 2. 3 isn't really going to slow them down. Yet, I'd like a heart lead, so ...
Paul McMullin: Pass. Put a gun to my head, I would open 1 instead of 3 because of the game potential.
Chris Buchanan: 3. Looks like a 3 preempt to me.
Hendrik Sharples: 4. Shoot the arrow into the air, hope it doesn't land on me.
Timothy Wright: 3. Last month (when the juniors were the original panel), this would have been a timid bid.
Bill Treble: 1. I used to be a passer with these cards, but have found out it's tough to catch up. I'll stretch for a 1 opening and keep bidding them.
Mike Roberts: 1. Matter of style, obviously, and I don't mind 4, but feels too good for 3.
David Gordon: Pass. 3 is also possible.
Kf Tung: Pass. You have offensive and defensive tricks, but no opening strength.
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